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Saudi Space Agency, NASA Hold 'Beyond Earth: Journeys to the Stars' Dialogue

Saudi Space Agency, NASA Hold 'Beyond Earth: Journeys to the Stars' Dialogue
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Saudi Space Agency, NASA Hold 'Beyond Earth: Journeys to the Stars' Dialogue

Saudi Space Agency, NASA Hold 'Beyond Earth: Journeys to the Stars' Dialogue

Prince Sultan University in Riyadh hosted a joint delegation from the Saudi Space Agency (SSA) and its US counterpart, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The event was attended by the SSA CEO Dr. Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney, and Saudi Astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali Al-Ghamdi, and Mariam Fardous.
The event aimed to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in the fields of science, research, development, and innovation as part of the SSA's ongoing efforts to develop national capabilities and competencies.

The agency aims to adopt scientific methods and modern technologies and harness all of these to develop the Saudi space sector, according to SPA.
The Saudi agency hosted a dialogue session titled "Beyond Earth: Journeys to the Stars" featuring a distinguished panel. The event included NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, alongside Saudi astronauts Rayana Barnawi, Maryam Firdaus, and Ali Al-Ghamdi. The discussion addressed several key topics, including articles on the Saudi space program, NASA's vision for the future, the challenges and opportunities presented by space exploration, and the role of pioneers in inspiring future generations to pursue careers in the vast field of space exploration.

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Mummified Cheetahs Found in Saudi Caves Shed Light on Lost Populations

This undated image provided by Communications Earth and Environment shows the mummified remains of a cheetah. (Ahmed Boug/Communications Earth and Environment via AP)
This undated image provided by Communications Earth and Environment shows the mummified remains of a cheetah. (Ahmed Boug/Communications Earth and Environment via AP)
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Mummified Cheetahs Found in Saudi Caves Shed Light on Lost Populations

This undated image provided by Communications Earth and Environment shows the mummified remains of a cheetah. (Ahmed Boug/Communications Earth and Environment via AP)
This undated image provided by Communications Earth and Environment shows the mummified remains of a cheetah. (Ahmed Boug/Communications Earth and Environment via AP)

Scientists have uncovered the mummified remains of cheetahs from caves in northern Saudi Arabia.

The remains range from 130 years old to over 1,800 years old. Researchers excavated seven mummies along with the bones of 54 other cheetahs from a site near the city of Arar.

Mummification prevents decay by preserving dead bodies. Egypt's mummies are the most well-known, but the process can also happen naturally in places like glacier ice, desert sands and bog sludge.

The new large cat mummies have cloudy eyes and shriveled limbs, resembling dried-out husks.

“It’s something that I’ve never seen before,” said Joan Madurell-Malapeira with the University of Florence in Italy, who was not involved with the discovery.

Researchers aren’t sure how exactly these new cats got mummified, but the caves’ dry conditions and stable temperature could have played a role, according to the new study published Thursday in the journal Communications Earth and Environment.

They also don't know why so many cheetahs were in the caves. It could have been a denning site where mothers birthed and raised their young.

Scientists have uncovered the rare mummified remains of other large cats, including a saber-toothed cat cub in Russia.

It's uncommon for large mammals to be preserved to this degree. Besides being in the right environment, the carcasses also have to avoid becoming a snack for hungry scavengers like birds and hyenas.

Cheetahs once roamed across most of Africa and parts of Asia, but now live in just 9% of their previous range and haven't been spotted across the Arabian Peninsula for decades. That’s likely due to habitat loss, unregulated hunting and lack of prey, among other factors.

In a first for naturally mummified large cats, scientists were also able to peek at the cheetahs' genes and found that the remains were most similar to modern-day cheetahs from Asia and northwest Africa. That information could help with future efforts to reintroduce the cats to places they no longer live.

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Vonn Launches Social Media Search Mission After Ski Pole Goes Missing

US' Lindsey Vonn crosses the finish line to win the Women's Downhill event of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Altenmarkt Zauchensee, Austria, on January 10, 2026. (AFP)
US' Lindsey Vonn crosses the finish line to win the Women's Downhill event of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Altenmarkt Zauchensee, Austria, on January 10, 2026. (AFP)
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Vonn Launches Social Media Search Mission After Ski Pole Goes Missing

US' Lindsey Vonn crosses the finish line to win the Women's Downhill event of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Altenmarkt Zauchensee, Austria, on January 10, 2026. (AFP)
US' Lindsey Vonn crosses the finish line to win the Women's Downhill event of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Altenmarkt Zauchensee, Austria, on January 10, 2026. (AFP)

Lindsey Vonn may be dominating World Cup downhills at 41, but even the US speed queen is not immune to missing equipment.

Vonn took to social media on Thursday with an unusual plea after losing a ski pole in Tarvisio, Italy, ahead of this weekend's World Cup event.

"Someone took ‌my pole ‌in the parking ‌lot ⁠today in ‌Tarvisio. If you have seen it, please respond to this. Thank you," Vonn wrote on X, posting a photo of the matching pole complete with her initials on the ⁠hand strap.

Vonn, a favorite for the speed events ‌at next month's Milano-Cortina ‍Olympics, retired ‍from the sport in 2019 and ‍had a partial knee replacement in April 2024 but returned to competition later that year and has been enjoying a fairy-tale comeback that has defied age and expectation.

Already the oldest ⁠World Cup winner of all time, Vonn continued her astonishing, age-defying form with a downhill victory in Zauchensee, Austria last week.

That triumph marked Vonn's fourth podium from four downhills this season, cementing her lead in the World Cup standings and her status as the woman to ‌beat at next month's Olympics.

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ISS Crew Splashes Down on Earth After Medical Evacuation

FILE - This photo provided by NASA shows the Moon's shadow covering portions of Canada and the US during a total solar eclipse as seen from the International Space Station on Monday, Aug. 8, 2024. (NASA via AP, File)
FILE - This photo provided by NASA shows the Moon's shadow covering portions of Canada and the US during a total solar eclipse as seen from the International Space Station on Monday, Aug. 8, 2024. (NASA via AP, File)
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ISS Crew Splashes Down on Earth After Medical Evacuation

FILE - This photo provided by NASA shows the Moon's shadow covering portions of Canada and the US during a total solar eclipse as seen from the International Space Station on Monday, Aug. 8, 2024. (NASA via AP, File)
FILE - This photo provided by NASA shows the Moon's shadow covering portions of Canada and the US during a total solar eclipse as seen from the International Space Station on Monday, Aug. 8, 2024. (NASA via AP, File)

Four International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers splashed down in the Pacific Ocean early Thursday, video footage from NASA showed, after a medical issue prompted their mission to be cut short.

American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and Japan's Kimiya Yui landed off the coast of San Diego about 12:41 am (0841 GMT), marking the first-ever medical evacuation from the ISS.